Stargazing at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory.

The 2019 Stargazing at RAL will have plenty of activities for the whole family, whatever the weather. There’ll be meteorites, rocket building, comet making, face-painting, a series of fascinating talks, robots and of course stargazing. We’ll have some experts on hand to explain how they use the Diamond Light Source to find out more about meteorites and comets, and you’ll be able to visit the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source to learn how we use particle accelerators to learn more about space.

Planetarium shows will run throughout the evening, but places on these are limited owing to the size of our planetaria, and so are allocated by lottery.

Once the event is fully booked, you will be able to sign up to our waiting list. Tickets will be released at 07:00, 13:00 and 19:00 on Friday 11 January 2019. The tickets released at 07:00 and 13:00 are fully booked – the next tickets will be released at 19:00.

Loraiza Davies presents The state of the world’s forests and main deforestation drivers to the Basingstoke Cafe Scientifique

The speaker for the January 2019 meeting of Basingstoke Cafe Scientifique at The Tea Bar will be Loraiza Davies, Director of Green Planet Ventures. Loraiza will discuss the state of the world’s forests and the main drivers of deforestation. The talk will consider the following aspects:

1) An overview of the world forests
2) Why are tropical forests important
3) Deforestation drivers
4) How can the travel industry help or how we think it should help and maybe explain a bit of what we do.

This issue is intertwined with the sustainable development goals set by the United Nations and Climate Change policies, which can be the subject for a further talk if people find it interesting,

After 20 years of working in environment and sustainability, having worked for NGOs, government organizations and corporates, Loraiza decided to “go back to school” and do a Master’s in Environment and Development at King’s College London. Her readings into political ecology inspired her to take a new direction and create a Nature-Tourism travel company to help protect tropical forests and its people (her lifelong passion) as well as help inspire the new generation of leaders. Her company Green Planet Ventures organises holidays for those that like the outdoors and explore nature; as a means to support nature conservation in those places.

Work in science communication (public engagement professionals, research communicator, event managers, STEM ambassadors, freelancer science communicators, science comedians, science clowns and anyone else who is engaging the public with science)? Want to meet others in similar roles?

Well head to the Reading Sci Comm Social- cause if its good enough for London/Birmingham/Bristol/Newcastle – it is good enough for Reading!

Come and join us for a drink in the Oakford Social Club where this month we will be talking about Women in STEM.

Please note that this is a Tuesday night instead of the regular Mondays.

Dr Ben Woodcock (CEH) will be presenting Neonicotinoids and bees

This talk will discuss the impacts and implications of the use of neonicotinoid pesticides on both wild and honey bees in Europe. The talk focuses on explaining some of the evidence base underpinning the recent EU ban on these chemicals that were used on wheat and oilseed rape in the UK. [*NOTE* This talk rescheduled from November 6th]

Visitors welcome (£3 charge). Members are invited to bring exhibits and share their observations at all meetings. Annual membership £15.00, £20.00 per family. Joining form on website: www.rdnhs.org.uk, or pay at a meeting.

Reading 2050 Public Lecture series: Reading’s Climate Change Strategy

The Reading 2050lecture series is a platform of discussion around the work of the Reading 2050 group established in 2013 by the School of the Built Environment, Barton Wilmore and Reading UK to deliver a strategic, long-term vision that will support the delivery of Reading’s legacy of a truly smart and sustainable city.

This months talk is from Chris Beales of the Reading Climate Change Partnership and Ben Burfoot from Reading Borough Council